Steny Hoyer: “I want to pay tribute to a good and decent American, an absolutely wonderful individual, Carlton R. Sickles, who passed…”

“I want to pay tribute to a good and decent American, an absolutely wonderful individual, Carlton R. Sickles, who passed away early Saturday. It is unfortunate that millions of people whose lives he touched during his 82 years never had the benefit of knowing him personally. I am blessed as many in this body were blessed by knowing him well. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, a former Maryland legislator, a gubernatorial candidate and a Member of the House from 1963 to 1967. But he is perhaps best known... as the father of the Metrorail transit system which today serves millions of customers every single year... On a personal note, I will forever be indebted to Carlton for encouraging me to choose a career in public service. I wanted to run for the House of Delegates in 1966. He was running for governor. He urged me to run for the State Senate. I did not think I could win a State Senate seat... but he continued to encourage me. And the third time he asked I ran, and I was fortunate enough to be successful.”